Sunday, January 18, 2009

Russian PM Vladimir Putin: Good evening! We want to inform you that, in the course of the talks, we’ve managed to reach…an agreement stipulating that, in natural gas trade, Russia and Ukraine are switching to the European pricing formula. In doing so, we agreed that in 2009 the Ukrainian partners will receive a discount of 20 percent, provided that the discount transit rate for transporting Russian gas to European consumers through Ukraine’s territory in 2009 will remain at the 2008 price level. That said, we also agreed that, starting January 2010, we will entirely and completely switch to pricing and transit pricing in full compliance with European standards, without any confiscations and discounts pertaining either to the transit or to the gas prices.

Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko: Yes, the talks were quite uneasy, but we came to a mutual understanding that makes it possible to sign all the contractual documents. We gave orders to the chairman of NAK Naftogaz, and Vladimir Vladimirovich gave orders to the chairman of Gazprom, to have the entire set of documents prepared by Monday and to have everything framed as it was agreed upon today during the talks. Moreover, immediately after the signing of all the documents on the transit of gas, on the purchase of gas, all flows of gas transit to Europe, all gas supplies to Europe, will be restored. I think today the day has passed, in my opinion, in a rather productive manner, and the summit that was gathered…uh…it has produced its results and all mutual understandings have been reached.

Putin: In the near term — and the Ukrainian side has assured us of that — the transit will be restored. Thank you.

Tymoshenko: Thank you. Goodbye.

Don’t you just love her fighting spirit? She’s the queen of the night!